1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the design and composition of spacecraft to implement a complete space mission like asteroid-sample-return to LEO or satellite-missions, using a launcher and a mothership solar sail spacecraft, which deploys in space and one or better more daughter-unit(s) which are already docked at launch. Especially it relates to the direct launch of a solar-sail mothership-spacecraft and at launch time already docked daughter units and the deployment of the solar sail foils in space.
The invention also relates to steering, station keeping and attitude control of this special solar-sail mothership spacecraft through implementing an Attitude Control System (ACS) and—besides thruster steering—with additional solar-electric-propulsion thrusters features an improved “Roller-Reefing” System as means to move the spacecraft's center of solar radiation pressure (cf) and center of mass (cm) relative to each other. The ACS is further supplemented through the cm movement of docked daughter units and payload inside the docking and payload station of the mothership.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known are solar sail mothership-spacecraft designs of the inventor as shown in FIG. 4 (Thruster-Solar-Sails, see DE 102 34 902 B4, DE 102 004 004 543 A1), which feature a magazine docking- and payload-station to carry several docked daughter units (like landers, communication and observation satellites, flying container units) and additional means to handle further payload.
The stiff Outer(pipe)-Ring of those (Thruster-)RingCraft carries (low thrust) double thruster units on the outer edge. Inside the ring circle are solar sails, the docking and payload station with docked daughter units, solar cell arrays, etc. attached to the Outer-Ring.
As the double-thruster units are arranged in complementing pairs, the solar sailcraft has an additional means of propulsion, steering and attitude control.
Further prior art is the “Inner-Ring-Construction” also an invention of the author of this application, (DE 10 2005 028 3780) for Thruster-Solar-Sails, which is consisting of the above mentioned docking- and payload-station which is surrounded halfway upwards through further rings.
Attached to that flat ring layer around the central docking- and payload station can be solar-cell arrays and other devices like payload fuel-, thruster-units and winch-devices for roller reefing.
One further patent of the inventor is the “roller reefing appliance” of the spacecraft (DE 10 2005 028 3780), which is characterized through the solar sail being split into several sail foils which are furled onto rolls; said rolls being held in holding devices on an Outer-Ring of the solar sail.
The sail-foil path ways can be pulled out (set) through winches which are located at a Inner-Ring-Construction while furling (reefing) them happens with the help of motors on the rolls.
The Telescope Brackets 5.12, which can be Described also as Telescoping Masts